CRHS swim team to debut on Saturday

CHAPMANVILLE — For the first time ever Chapmanville Regional High School will be competing in the water.

The swimming pool, that is.

The newly formed Chapmanville Regional High School swimming team is scheduled to compete in its first ever swim meet on Saturday in Charleston.

The team, created at the request of swimmers who have been members of the Southern West Virginia Stingrays swim team for the past three seasons, is a first for both the school as well as Logan County schools.

This weekend’s meet will be hosted by Charleston Catholic High School. Team from Capital High School, Riverside, Buckhannon-Upshur and Nitro will also be present. It will take place at the University of Charleston pool, located in the school’s athletic complex.

As one of the first meets in the season, the team will use the meet to establish times for seedings in future meets this season.

Tiger Swim has a full schedule this season, with six meets scheduled from November to late January, with hopes of swimming beyond January in regional and state tournament meets.

“Our swimmers have worked very hard over the past three weeks,” Coach Linley Marcum said. “They have looked forward to the opportunity to swim on a high school level almost since they started with the sport and are excited that it’s finally a reality. I think that our swimmers are ready to take on their first meet and feel like they will post some really amazing times.”

The CRHS Swim team consists of freshmen Ryan Satterfield and Quincy Farley and sophomore Nikki Burke.

Satterfield and Farley will be swimming in the 100-yard Butterfly and 200-yard Individual Medley events, while Burke will swim in a the 50-yard Freestyle event.

The team will practice at the Chief Logan Rec Center pool at Chief Logan State Park.

“I think this season will be a real success for our swimmers, our school and our community,” Coach Marcum said. “I look forward to a successful 2015-16 season with CRHS Swim, and hope that in the 2016-17 season the swim program to expand to other schools in the county, as well. We’re going to make CRHS proud to be the first school to have a swim team in the county.”

Marcum said a lot of people made the reality of having a swimming team possible.

“The team and I would like to thank the Logan County Board of Education and Chapmanville Regional High School for their support and confidence in the team, as well as Terry Mullins and the staff of the Chief Logan Recreational Center for their support, and those who have offered backing to the team. We couldn’t have gotten the team off the ground without their dedication, and they have our deepest appreciation,” Marcum said.